The Triad Perspective
     


Triad Investment Management, LLC is a SEC-registered investment adviser based in Newport Beach, California.  We manage portfolios, including retirement and corporate accounts, and provide investment counsel to our select group of clients, which include:
  • Business owners
  • Affluent families and individuals
  • Corporate executives
  • Family offices
  • Endowments and foundations
Learn more about us at  www.triadim.com .

A Zamboni By Any Other Name

When your brand name becomes a noun or a verb, you've arrived.  Some noun examples: Kleenex instead of tissue. Jacuzzi for hot tub. Tupperware for plastic containers. Zamboni for...hey, what's a Zamboni?  Any hockey fan knows the answer. Ice resurfacing machine.
 
Same for brands that morphed into verbs: FedEx instead of ship it.  Xerox, not copy. We Google, we don't search.
 
Google's remarkable rise over the past 19 years owes much to its unique culture.  As recounted in a recent podcast, CEO Eric Schmidt credits a culture that includes three essential ingredients:  Experimentation, Decision Making, and Scaling the Idea.  In essence, come up with lots of ideas, some crazy, decide which ones have real promise, then determine if your idea can become a big idea.

 

Of course, Google has lots of rocket scientists and other people with off-the-charts IQs.  What can we mere mortals accomplish?  According to CEO Schmidt the single biggest predictor of success is this--Persistence.  Next most important?  Curiosity.  The combination can be powerful.  And importantly, each of these doesn't require an Einstein-level IQ.  Just doggedness, awareness of your environment, and constantly asking questions.
 
As I listened to Schmidt discuss how Google operates, it reminded me of our business of investment management.  While we're not in the technology business, both persistence and curiosity are important pieces of the puzzle for investing success.


 
Persistence when investing is critical as the game is long-term, and in a sense never ending.  And inevitably markets will at times work against you.  Persistence and determination provide the mental fortitude to deal with sometimes quite irrational markets.
 
Since the landscape changes daily, new risks and opportunities are constant companions for investors.  We need to be curious about not just the things we think we know, but also things we don't really know.    
 
Sticking your head in the sand is a good method for failure in our business.  At the same time, we must be careful not to wander into territory we can't really understand well enough to master.
 
It's all a balancing act.  Persistence, without stubborn, dogmatic foolishness.  Curiosity to embrace new ideas, while avoiding undisciplined wandering.  It's not easy, but the rewards should justify the efforts.  

-John Heldman, CFA




Past performance does not guarantee future results.  Results are presented net of fees and include the reinvestment of all income.  The opinions expressed herein are those of Triad Investment Management, LLC and are subject to change without notice. Consider the investment objectives, risks and expenses before investing. The information in this presentation should not be considered as a recommendation to buy or sell any particular security and should not be considered as investment advice of any kind. You should not assume that any securities discussed in this report are or will be profitable, or that recommendations we make in the future will be profitable or equal the performance of any securities discussed in this presentation. The report is based on data obtained from sources believed to be reliable but is not guaranteed as being accurate and does not purport to be a complete summary of the available data. Recommendations for the past twelve months are available upon request. In addition to clients, partners and employees or their family members may have a position in any securities mentioned herein. Triad Investment Management, LLC is a SEC-registered investment adviser. More information about us is included in our SEC Form ADV Part 2, which is available upon request.  
     

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